Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Abstract

During 1954 every effort was expended by the editors to obtain a Yearbook contribution reporting on the significant anthropological activities during 1952-1954 in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. As with other contributed articles to this section entitled "Regional Round-up," our basic principle was that each review be first-hand-authored by a scholar from within the country or region being reported upon. Our original invitation to participate in the Yearbook was extended on February 18, 1954, to Dr. S. P. Tolstov, Director of the Institute of Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R. A second invitation was sent May 10, 1954, registered airmail, return receipt requested; such receipt was signed in Moscow on May 20. A third letter of inquiry was sent on ]une 23. On October 15 a memorandum of suggestions to authors, including a reminder of the December 15 deadline, was airmailed, registered, return receipt re? quested; such receipt was signed in Moscow on October 27, 1954. Since no reply to any of our four invitations and inquiries nor a manuscript was received, the editors, during the last month before publication, secured permission from Dr. E. S. Carpenter, of the University of Toronto, Canada, to reprint in full and exactly as it appeared, the following article from issue No. 3, August, 1954, pages 83-88, of the publication, Explorations, of which he is Editor. While the title indicates that a full coverage of all aspects of anthro? pology was not attempted, at least it is a summary report as seen from the eyes of Russian scholars. For a brief, but significant, account of archeological activities in the Soviet Union, see pages 80, 81, 85, 86, 89 of the Yearbook article on "Old World Arche? ology and Prehistory." The Yearbook stands ready, in a future volume, to include a longer, more comprehensive, and up-to-date report should one be forthcoming from a scholar in the U.S.S.R.